Goshavank

Northern Armenia

LoginSave

Founded in 1188 by the saintly Armenian cleric Mkhitar Gosh, who was buried in a little chapel overlooking the main complex, this monastery features a main church (Surp Astvatsatsin), smaller churches to St Gregory of Narek and St Gregory the Illuminator, and a matenadaran (library) that is said to have held 15,000 books. A fourth church topped by a bell tower was built on top of the library in 1291; entrance was via the external cantilevered staircase.

Goshavank is considered one of the principal cultural centres of Armenia of its time; historians believe it was abandoned after the Mongol invasion in 1375. It then appears to have been reoccupied between the 17th and 19th centuries and restored from 1957 to 1963. The monastery has been restored again recently. When here, take note of the splendid khachkar (stone cross) between the second St Gregory chapel and the gavit (antechamber).

Goshavank is 6.5km off the main Dilijan–Ijevan Hwy, on the road to Chambarak. A taxi from Dilijan or Ijevan (both 23km away) should cost around AMD4500 one-way.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Haghartsin Monastery

    Haghartsin Monastery

    7.51 MILES

    Hidden in a verdant valley 13km northeast of Dilijan, Haghartsin ('Dance of the Eagles’) was built between the 10th and 13th centuries and has three…

  • Sevanavank

    Sevanavank

    11.36 MILES

    A pagan temple once occupied this elevated site overlooking the lake, but was replaced by a now-ruined church in 305. Two further churches, Surp…

  • Haghpat Monastery

    Haghpat Monastery

    29.24 MILES

    Occupying a commanding position overlooking the gorge, this monastery has atmosphere and architectural splendour in spades. Founded around 976 by Queen…

  • Kobayr Monastery

    Kobayr Monastery

    26.82 MILES

    Perched above the hamlet of Kobayr is the 12th-century monastery of the same name. The main church has some partially restored Georgian-style frescoes and…

  • St Astvatsatsin Church

    St Astvatsatsin Church

    29.34 MILES

    Built on the site where legend tells us St Thomas buried Christ's swaddling clothes in the 1st century, the core of St Astvatsatsin dates from the 5th…

  • Noratus

    Noratus

    26.33 MILES

    Approximately 900 khachkars (headstones) dating from as far back as the 10th-century dot this breathtaking cemetery on the western edge of Lake Sevan…

  • Parz Lake

    Parz Lake

    2.46 MILES

    About 13km from Dilijan, Parz Lich (meaning clear lake) is an attractive sight that explodes with tourism during the summer months. Lakeside attractions…

View more attractions

Nearby Northern Armenia attractions

1. Parz Lake

2.46 MILES

About 13km from Dilijan, Parz Lich (meaning clear lake) is an attractive sight that explodes with tourism during the summer months. Lakeside attractions…

2. Dilijan Historic Centre

6.78 MILES

This Disneyfied collection of stone and wooden traditional buildings includes the Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex, workshops for local craftspeople,…

4. Haghartsin Monastery

7.51 MILES

Hidden in a verdant valley 13km northeast of Dilijan, Haghartsin ('Dance of the Eagles’) was built between the 10th and 13th centuries and has three…

5. Sevanavank

11.36 MILES

A pagan temple once occupied this elevated site overlooking the lake, but was replaced by a now-ruined church in 305. Two further churches, Surp…

6. Ijevan Wine Factory

11.61 MILES

Put aside all expectations of a picturesque winery, because Ijevan's wine factory is just that – a large industrial complex where the local grape harvest…

7. Kecharis Monastery

20.02 MILES

From the square, take Khachatur Kechavetsi St uphill to the Kecharis Monastery, a complex comprising the Surp Grigor Church (1003), an attached 13th…

8. Hovhannes Tumanyan House Museum

24.39 MILES

Those who have already visited the Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum in Yerevan will find this timber house where he grew up interesting, but those unfamiliar…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "armenia/northern-armenia/attractions/goshavank/a/poi-sig/1527680/1330032",
  "destination": "Northern-Armenia",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Armenia",
  "region": "Northern-Armenia",
  "position": "superzone"
}